Canopy Tour and animal shows

We have been able to experience a lot in the past two days as well.

Wednesday started with getting oriented to discover what the surroundings have to offer. We decided to visit the Reptile Center, the Bird of Prey Show, and the Canopy Tour. The latter was already planned in advance as Fabian received this tour as a birthday gift in the summer.

So we drove to the Canopy Tour (https://www.canopytour.co.za/locations/drakensberg/) to inquire about a possible date. Luckily for Laura, a tour was available right away, so she didn't have to think long. This tour takes you through a gorge on ziplines using a rolling sled. After putting on the harnesses and receiving a brief safety instruction, we headed towards the starting point in an off-road truck. Then we slid down 12 ziplines. The rides ranged from 20 meters to 180 meters in length and up to 65 meters above the ground. We were most amazed by how naturally and effortlessly the boys took on these sometimes breathtaking rides. Jasper always slid together with a tour guide because he didn't weigh enough to slide all the way down by himself. We were all amazed by the nature surrounding us.

Today, we watched a bird of prey show (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g662254-d3805698-Reviews-Falcon_Ridge_Bird_of_Prey_Centre-Winterton_Drakensberg_Region_KwaZulu_Natal.html), where mostly "foundling" birds and birds that have recovered from injury were shown. The fish eagle, black eagle, falcons, and owls were released to fly against the magnificent backdrop of the Drakensberg mountains. While it was explained what happened to these birds and other useless knowledge, they used the thermals and rose several hundred meters above us before diving to catch their "prey". This was also very impressive for the boys! Especially the two trainers showed their love for these animals and how they have turned their passion into a profession.

The same can be said for the head of the Reptile Center. I have never seen such a variety of reptiles on private grounds before. In South Africa, there are very loose laws regarding species protection, so anyone who can spare 10 € can buy a young alligator, eggs of venomous spiders, or various other reptiles in a pet store. As far as I can judge as an absolute layman, all animals were kept in relatively species-appropriate and clean enclosures.
The absolute highlight here were various snakes, spiders, and lizards that we or the boys were allowed to hold in our hands, on our heads, or on our shoulders.

Our vacation is slowly coming to an end and we will fly back home on Saturday, so this post will probably be the last one of the vacation.

See you again in Germany!

Until then

Your Dietrichs